The ankle joints between the foot and lower leg are subject to arthritic and other kinds of degeneration and to trauma, whether accidental or surgically done as in an ankle fusion. The treatments of these problems invariably require that the upper and lower joints be held still while they heal. Good medical practice avoids unnecessary immobilization of a patient, so that it is necessary to protect the joints while permitting the patient to resume as much as possible of his or her daily routine.
Thus an ankle brace must, while holding the bones proximal and distal of the joints relatively immobile, be wearable under normal clothing. Furthermore hygiene requires that the brace be removable. Nothing now known has the strength necessary for health reasons and the small size necessary for cosmetic reasons, while still being removable for hygiene reasons.